Marie Nagel

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Artist's statement

Painting for me is what gives meaning to my life. It gives me a voice to proclaim loudly and clearly my love of painting and the beauty of the things I see around me, better than I can with words.

While I am fascinated with the shapes, colours, and textures of the landscape I see around me, my interest is often more with the act of painting than with the subject. It is those shapes, colours and textures I use as something to hang my paint on. In my painting, I am in a non-judgemental space, and find a clear-cut as interesting as the pristine wilderness. My work does not often depict any particular location, but more the sense of it that I take with me from having been there. Often it is purely from my imagination, intuitive and impulsive. I try to empty my mind and turn off the inner dialogue before starting my painting, enter a quiet space, and let it happen rather than consciously trying to make it happen.